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As jagged as its mountain peaks may be, B.C.'s wilderness can be a crowded place. Over the decades, we’ve had some epic battles between heli skiing companies and snowmobilers. The latter group — due to major advances in technology — can access places such as the Pemberton Icecap west of Whistler and hundreds of other logging road access areas of the province.

In the Lower Mainland, however, we’ve been tipped off to a new source of tension, one that, given the limited terrain and number of people out using it, was bound to happen. And that is snowshoers versus backcountry skiers. And even hikers versus backcountry skiers.

What is at stake, exactly? Well, as one skier explains: “Last weekend, we climbed up Nak Peak on the Coquihalla to ski laps on it (i.e, to climb and ski it repeatedly). There were also some snowshoers there. They apparently didn't want to break a trail. So they used ours, and wrecked it. So we made another one on the second lap. Then they came down, used our new one, and wrecked it, too.”

How do snowshoers wreck a trail? Well, the weight of the snowshoer’s body, the wide footprint of the snowshoe, and, most damaging, the claw-print of the snowshoe crampon digs up the skin track and ruins the smooth gliding surface that skiers depend on to make time up the hill. For those who don’t know, backcountry skiers affix climbing skins to the base of their skis. These skins have a ‘nap’ that allows the skier to glide forward, but then holds him from sliding backwards as the nap ‘catches’ on the surface of the snow. Skin tracks are difficult to ‘put in’ for the first or second person, but once a moderate, not too steep skin line is put in, skiers can scoot up their favourite slope pretty quickly.

Many backcountry skiers do get a bit anal-retentive when it comes to interfering with their climbing track or skin adhesion. After all, there are few more ignominious ways to tumble in the backcountry than making an inelegant kick turn, losing your balance, and falling flat on your face or, even worse, turtling – tipping backwards and then trying to get up with your backpack strapped on.

He continues: “Now, I realize that someone else's trail is often the path of least resistance and, if it's there, I use it too. But skintracks and snowshoeing trails are two different animals - one is for skiing; one is for walking. I'm not going to ski all over your trail, and you shouldn't walk all over my track. I also won't cut any overhead slopes on you or spray you in the face with blower pow. Deal?”

The tone is getting a bit nasty!

At Nordic resorts such as Sovereign Lakes/Silver Star, Sun Peaks, and the Callaghan south of Whistler, snowshoers and cross country skiers must stick to clearly defined trails, as snowshoes (especially ‘snowshoe runners’ can really dig up the tracks set by a grooming machine. In the backcountry, however, it’s more of a free-for-all.

Dave Norona is perhaps the only adventurer in B.C. who skis and snowmobiles and snowshoes and, well, let’s just say that he gets out a lot. And he had a pretty surprising take on it. “Really, we’re all just backcountry users. There are places on the North Shore where guys will skin up and follow snowshoe tracks. I was skinning up Hollyburn for years before I even saw a snowshoe track, and I welcome them. Hey, it’s a provincial park.”

Another person weighed in: “If I encounter snowshoe tracks I go over them or around them. Soon, they’ll be cursing the little rabbits and deer that come out and use the skin track at night to get around...”

Perhaps Norona said it best: “Some people will complain about anything.” Let’s just be thankful that we have some wild places out there to backcountry ski, snowshoe, and to snowmobile.

Stay friendly out there, folks. Chances are, most snowshoers will be happy to stay out of your skin track if you explain the situation in a positive way.

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